Print and e-book, 354 pages
Published October 1st 2017 by Lake Union Publishing
The author of the Love in Provence series returns to the South of France with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself.
Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.
Encouraged by her family to take some time for herself, she has traveled to Arles to set up her easel in the same fields of poppies and sunflowers that inspired Van Gogh. Gradually, she rediscovers the inner artist she abandoned long ago. Drawing strength from the warm companionship and gentle wisdom of her fellow artists at the retreat—as well as the vitality of guest lecturer Jacques de Villeneuve, an artist and a cowboy—Arianna searches her heart for permission to embrace the life in front of her and, like the sunflowers, once again face the light.
My thoughts about Drawing Lessons ~~
(Originally posted November 26, 2017)
I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.
First line—"The first time her life came to a screeching halt was twenty years earlier when the pre-dawn phone call came from Greece where her parents, Sophia and Nikos, were vacationing. Everything changed with that tragic car accident."
Oh my gosh, reading Drawing Lessons took me to the South of France where I was in seventh heaven—enjoying the food, wine, friendships, art, and the absolute beauty of the area. The words the author wrote were so descriptive and beautifully written that I felt like I was there. I truly savoured those words as I soaked up the experience.
Arianna travels to Provence to escape her life for just a mere two weeks, as she tries to reconnect with herself. Her love of art has been put aside all these years as she fulfilled her life's duties as wife and mother. What she finds is a house full of strangers who have come together because of their love of art, strangers who quickly become friends.
I appreciated the fact that the author made Arianna a women of a mature age, dealing with issues common to that age. Her life experiences and the situation she finds herself in are different from what a 20-something would be dealing with and as a more mature reader, I found myself relating to her and her life.
Drawing Lessons is the first book by Patricia Sands that I have read but it will not be my last. I fell in love with her prose and descriptive passages. I became totally immersed in the story and loved my trip to the South of France. I found myself thinking about the characters and the setting when I wasn't reading the story and couldn't wait to go back there. Thank you, Patricia, for the wonderful little vacation that I was able to take without leaving my couch.
ETA—I am now a huge fan of Patricia Sands and read everything she publishes. Every time I start one of her stories, I am transported to a beautiful location and thanks to her breathtaking descriptions of the places, the delicious sounding food that is consumed, and the amazing friends that are made, I get to enjoy a little vacation from my reading chair. I love the little trips that I get to take because of her!
About the author
Originally from Toronto, Canada, the pandemic caused Patricia and her husband to move two hours north to The Blue Mountains with Georgian Bay in their ‘front yard’ and ski hills 8 minutes away. An admitted travel fanatic, Patricia can pack a bag in a flash and be ready to go anywhere … particularly the south of France, for her annual visit.
As of January, 2015, along with being an indie author, Patricia has also published with Lake Union Publishing. This is the women’s fiction arm of Amazon Publishing.
With a focus on her love of the south of France, women’s issues and ageing, her stories celebrate the feminine spirit and the power of friendship. Encouraging women of all ages to stare down the fear factor and embrace change, Patricia has heard from readers (men too!) ages 20 to 83.
Her award-winning debut novel The Bridge Club was published in 2010 and the audiobook, read by Patricia, is available on Audible. In December 2020, the Tenth Anniversary edition of The Bridge Club was published with added content and a new Epilogue. This version answers a critical question left hanging in the original publication.
Patricia’s second novel, The Promise of Provence received a 2014 National Indie Excellence Finalist Award in Literary Fiction. An Amazon Hot New Release in April 2013, The Promise of Provence was also a USA Best Book 2013 Finalist ~ Women’s Fiction.
As of today, April 1, 2023, there are over 4,800 reviews on Amazon with a rating of 4.3*.
The Promise of Provence, Promises To Keep, I Promise You This, comprise the three books of the Love in Provence trilogy, published by Lake Union, along with Patricia’s fifth novel, Drawing Lessons, on October 1, 2017. Drawing Lessons was a semi-Finalist for the Chanticleer Somerset Literary Award.
In 2019 and 2020, Patricia responded to requests from readers for more stories about the beloved characters in the Love in Provence trilogy. The three novellas of The Villa des Violettes series are the result. Book #4 is planned for 2023.
As writers do, Patricia is currently at work on her tenth novel … a short one! Book #4 in the Villa des Violettes series. I hope to have this out for readers by December, 2023.
My 2021 pub date for this was suddenly changed when I decided to finish writing The Secrets We Hide. I’m delighted to announce this novel has just been named Winner of the 2022 Book Excellence Award for Women's Fiction and is a Finalist in the 2022 Somerset Literary and Contemporary Fiction Awards to be announced at the end of April.
And just when I thought I would return to writing in France, I was invited by 7 author friends to contribute a short novel (200 pages) to the brand new Sail Away series. It was too much fun to turn down and such a pleasure to collaborate with friends. All the delightful stories are standalone. My book, Lost at Sea, is available in ebook and print and will take you away on unforgettable cruise in the Mediterranean … no surprise there! I hope you will climb aboard and enjoy!
Until the pandemic interrupted life, since 2013 Patricia has co-led tours of the French Riviera and the countryside of Provence based on the Love in Provence trilogy. The most recent tour (12 days, 16 women) was in September 2019. If you would like to go with her and her BFF, Deborah Bine (aka Barefoot Blogger) who lives in France a good part of the year, go to Absolutely Southern France.com to see details of the tour. It’s the perfect trip for women traveling on their own or with good friends. You can see photos of the trips on the Travel page here.
Find out more at Patricia’s Facebook Author Page, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads, Instagram or her blog where you will find links to her books, social media, and monthly newsletter. She loves hearing from readers, so don’t hesitate to email her.
Her newsletter, sent once a month, contains special giveaways as well as her photography and information about the south of France, her home away from home. Just click on the sign-up link in the column, on the right, on this page.
And please don’t be confused by the different appearance. Like so many women who were unable to visit a hair salon during the pandemic, there’s been a change! This is still me! No more hair colour and I couldn’t be happier. And my sweet grandpup, Georgia the Goldendoodle … who owns me! ~ Author's website
Connect with Patricia
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